#smcstudyaway

Week 5 of 8 is coming to an end. I feel like I have been living in Los Angeles for months. I have been very busy balancing work, fun, travel, and professional development. 

In the past few weeks I have been working on the career development team helping to coach the students through their internship process throughout the summer. One of the workshops that I helped to plan and execute was ‘Network Like a Boss’. We mentored the students how, when, and why to network in different and all situations. We also focused strongly on elevator pitches and resources to expand our global network to develop meaningful and professional relationships.  

Another event that we planned for the interns was a career seminar with guest Frances Cole. She was an amazing speaker who taught us about using persuasive language, how to read body language, the art of selling yourself, how to catch an employer’s attention, and much more. 

Fun aspects of the Los Angeles program: 

Last weekend we went to VEGAS, one of the sponsored events that come with the program package. Our group was only there for about 24 hours, but it was an unforgettable experience. Many of the participants went to clubs and gambled. My coworkers and I went to a fancy, Japanese dinner and then went to a Comedy Show, followed by the water fountain show in front of the Bellagio. The 7 hour bus ride home from Vegas the next day was definitely worth it! 

Until next week, 

Enough about me, I want to share about some of our Temple students on the LA program.  

Brooke Storms is going to be a senior next year and it is her first time in Los Angeles. Her internship is at the Self Tape, where actors come to the studio and they provide them with coaching and scripts to work on. Brooke wants to be an actor and it is a great experience for her to see actors work through a script in front of her. She said that she plans to move to LA after graduation, so living here this summer and learning about the culture and neighborhoods has been super helpful for her future. 

Alissa Burns is also going to be a senior next year and she is an advertising major. It is her first time on the West Coast and says that she is meeting a ton of people and seeing a lot of things already in just the first few weeks in LA. Ali says that being able to adapt and move to a new city is beneficial and a good skill to learn. Ali is an intern at Allied Integrated Marketing and she is doing marketing and promotions work. She has been able to go to several events and talk to different clients already and network a lot. 

Jared Phillips is going to be a senior and is majoring in Broadcast Journalism. He says that Los Angeles is such a beautiful city and he already loves what he’s doing so far in his internship. Jared is interning at Primary Wave Entertainment which has a ton of great artists and actors in the industry. His company has a fun environment and he is learning a lot of new things he had no idea about before. Jared said that he has made a lot of contacts already and plans to make more in the media field in his next five weeks here. 

Ben McWilliams is ALSO going to be a senior at Temple. He is interning for Sportle, a startup company that does streaming for sporting events online and on their app. He says that he is having a lot of fun at his internship and is learning a lot. Though LA is very different from Philadelphia he is enjoying the weather and the lack of rain! Jared says that being in a professional environment this summer will be very beneficial for his future, especially working in the sports field that he’s interested in. 

Chaz Lutz  is going to be a senior as well at Temple. He is interning at Crowd Surf, a marketing company where he promotes musicians on social media. He is loving the experience and is already enjoying LA. Chaz says that this experience will really help him learn about what he likes to do and to see if he wants to move to Los Angeles after he graduates. 

-Emily 

Though I have only been here two and a half weeks it feels like I have been here a lot longer. Already I have visited Santa Monica, Malibu, Venice, and Hollywood which are the more popular neighborhoods. I am still trying to get used to the traffic, and being an hour bus ride away from downtown or the beach (even though they are only a few miles away). Los Angeles has been pretty great so far and I am overcome with the feeling of never returning home. 

Last week we did a tour of Hollywood and Santa Monica on the big red tour buses. It was awesome to see the city from up top and getting a good perspective of the major streets and where places are located. We also had a workshop for “Creating Your Personal Brand”. As staff members we really took a lot of time to prepare for this workshop to teach the students about how to brand themselves online on platforms like LinkedIn and Wix.com for employers to see them. 

This weekend we are going to a Dodgers game, hopefully they play a little better than the Phillies. I’m missing Philadelphia but I can see how people easily make the move to California! 

Until next week, 

Emily 

First week in in the City of Angels was a success! 

As staff members, we arrived four days early to train and get ready for the 130 students coming from all over the world for their summer internships in LA. Move in day was the hottest day of the week and we helped all of the students unload their suitcases and unpack. That night we had a welcome dinner for everyone to get to know each other and get acquainted with the beautiful and large campus of UCLA. UCLA is located in Westwood, located between the beautiful Beverly Hills and the entertaining Santa Monica. The second day we had an orientation and did practice runs for the students to get familiar with the public transportation system to get to work. LA’s public transportation is very different from Philly’s and can take some getting used to. I have found that getting from one place to another by bus will take at least an hour and that is without a transfer! Each neighborhood is unique and I look forward to getting to know each one.

The rest of the week involved a career seminar and an ice cream social. For the career seminar we had guest speaker Antonio Neves speak to our LA group. He is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, author, and journalist. He left us all feeling inspired and motivated to achieve our goals for the summer and create our own luck. The next night we had our ice cream social on the roof of our dorm apartment. The cookies and ice cream were from Diddy Riese, a world famous dessert shop in Westwood. So far the city of Los Angeles has given us sunny, warm weather and I look forward to many new adventures to share!

Until then,

Emily

Hello all! My name is Emily and I am one of the peer advisors at SMC Study Away. This summer I am so excited to be a staff member for Dream Career’s Los Angeles Program! I applied for this job because last summer I was an intern for Dream Careers in Barcelona, Spain. I had the best summer of my life in Europe and a major part of it was because of the study abroad program that I was on. As a staff member for a different program this summer, I want to share some advice that I will be giving to my students about how to make the most of your summer in a new city. 

1. GOALS, GOALS, GOALS. Eight weeks might seem like a long time but it goes by very fast! You will be doing so much every day and moving so quickly that time will pass you by. My advice is to write down goals in the beginning of the program, and then look back at them in the middle of the program and see how much you accomplished and add some new goals you would like to accomplish. I personally keep my goals list right in my ‘notes’ app on my phone! Easily accesible and you can add or delete whenever you need to. 

2. GOOGLE MAPS IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. I seriously swear by this app and if you are a traveler or a human with a phone then download it. My favorite feature is to ‘star’ or favorite locations throughout your city. You search for the restaurant or museum and favorite it, then when you are exploring or wandering the city you can locate yourself (using satellite, not data for those of you abroad) and see where you are compared to any locations you have starred. If you need directions somewhere Google Maps let you choose between walking, public transportation, or driving directions and shows you where the traffic is and the best way to get around!

3. WHEN IT DOUBT, WRITE IT DOWN. ‘Dear Diary’ might seem a little lame, but I like to calling it journaling. Being far away from home, starting a new internship or class, and being on your own can be scary and emotional. I personally went through culture shock around the second week of my program in Barcelona and the people around me couldn’t really relate to how I was feeling. I decided to start journaling and wrote down how I was feeling and all of the cool things I was experiencing. Writing about your story is a good way to learn about yourself and reflect upon what you’re going through. Your older self will thank you for writing down the memories. 

That’s some of my best advice for now. I will be writing a blog post weekly to share my experience staffing the Los Angeles Study Away program!

DO

1. Eat somewhere you have never heard of before – while Starbucks and Panera Bread are familiar chains, try having a meal in a new environment. It could be the best thing you have ever eaten!

2. Purchase/collect one item that you find while in the city that really intrigues you and keep it close to you - By the end of the summer, it is very special to have one item/momento that you got while in the city to remember the wonderful experience you had. For me, it is my copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit which I purchased in the city during the summer. It is the star piece of my bookshelf!

3. Have a heart-to-heart conversation with someone in class who you otherwise probably wouldn’t have encountered had you not partaken in the summer class – sometimes the most genuine and relatable people are the ones right next to you. Branch out of your normal friend group and get to know your classmates on a personal level.

4. Embrace every day in the city as a new and exciting day – whether it is rainy, sunny, cold, wet, or hot, every day you are in the city is a new day which will hold wonderful new experiences for you. Don’t let something like your mood or weather bring down how you experience the time in NYC, and certainly don’t let it affect your classmates!

5. Take part in a new activity while in the city – whether it be dressing up for the Mermaid Day Parade or dancing with the Hare Krishnas, try involving yourself in a new experience with other people besides your classmates!

6. Find the section of NYC that speaks the most to you and that you could see yourself being a part of in the future – it is exciting to imagine oneself in the city and to ponder how your life would be different if you called NYC your home.

7. Create your own NYC experience - no two people experience the wonder of NYC the same. While Dr. Gratson is your primary guide in the city, he cannot experience the city for you. It is up to you to embrace every single day and to look at the city from more perspectives that just the one you are used to.

DON’T

1. DO NOT ever negatively comment on someone’s appearance or image while in the city – this could pertain to either your classmates or the people around you. While someone may be sitting on the side of the street with ripped clothes or a unique outfit on, that doesn’t give you any liberty or cause to comment on that person’s image or what you think they appear to be. Trust me, the man sitting on the side of the street could be a multi-billionaire who just chooses to dress very modestly, and the worst thing you can do is assume someone falls into a certain category just because of how they look or act.

2. DO NOT say something is “stupid” or “weird” just because it is something that doesn’t interest you or is something you haven’t seen before – you will be exposed to many different images, cultures, ideas, and values while in NYC, all of which are unique and special in their own way. Never undercut something’s importance or value just because you “don’t get it”.

3. DO NOT be disrespectful of any alumni or guest speakers – they are volunteering their own precious time and probably aren’t getting anything in return for it, so the absolute least you can do is be respectful of them while they are talking, ask questions to engage them, and give them your full attention and be sure to thank them for giving you their time.

4. DO NOT claim to be an expert in any aspect of NYC life, and do not let this cause an argument between yourself and your classmate(s) – just because you collect comic books and have read your fair share of graphic novels does not make you an expert in world literature. Unless you have Ph. D after your name, you’re not an expert and there is always knowledge to be gained. Don’t shoo away others’ advice or experiences just because you are too proud to admit you are wrong.

5. DO NOT undercut someone’s contributions or additions to the NYC experience class – Everyone comes from their own walk of life and has something unique to contribute to the overall experience of your class. While everyone’s experiences will be different, yours are not any better or worthy of more merit than your peers’.

6. DO NOT assume your time is more valuable than anyone else’s – you are stepping into a city that has more than eight million people living in it. It might shock you to hear this, but you’re really not that special. If you’re walking slow, get out of the way for other people. Stand on the right side, walk on the left (that’s for escalators if you haven’t heard). Understand that you are a part of a larger class group, and you are also only one person in an ocean of millions, and you don’t always need to be the center of attention.